Our Mission

Mission

Vision

To break the cycle of ignorance, poverty and abuse by providing a safe and healthy environment for children to grow in thus, helping them to become productive citizens of society

OUR VALUES

Compassion • Respect • Integrity • Responsibility • Family • Love

our pillars

FAITH

Through the years, hundreds of children have been saved by Misioneros Del Camino. Their heart wrenching stories of how they were abused by their parents, family members or both causes them to lose their faith in humanity. Their trust in others is shattered by the atrocities they experienced as small children.

At Misioneros Del Camino they receive the compassion, love and respect every child deserves as they begin to rebuild their faith in humanity. Faith in God is also a key part of the process as well as learning to be loved by all their brother and sisters at the home. As time passes, their lives and their faith are transformed with the unconditional love they receive at the home.

LOVE

When children arrive at MDC that have been abused and abandoned they all have one thing in common, the absence of love. From the moment children are born they should feel the warmth and happiness that comes with being loved. Once that feeling of being safe and trusting is violated they become recluse and angry. The way to get through to them and transform their lives is through unconditional love. Love is at the core of Misioneros Del Camino; it is in our mission, our vision and our values.

HOPE

As faith and love are restored, the children begin to experience what it is to have hope. Hope in every sense of the word; optimism, desire, ambition and most importantly, hope for the future. From the depth of depression, introverted and anger to a feeling that everything will work out o.k. all thanks to the transformative process centered on the core principle of unconditional love.

Leadership Team

Jose Crespo Portela

DIRECTOR

Since 1990, Jose Crespo Leonor’s son, has been involved in all aspects of Misioneros Del Camino. As a cofounder alongside Leonor he has diligently worked in the background making sure everything ran smoothly. From administrative oversite to budgeting, fundraising, event planning and coordinating volunteers, Jose has worked on those along with many other supportive functions.

Leonor was always the public face of MDC while Jose choose to support her activities enabling her to do what she did best, communicating with her donors and taking care of the children. This agreement worked well since it allowed Leonor to be the public face while Jose quietly went about ensuring things ran seamlessly.

Throughout the years Jose has taken numerous courses on nonprofit administration and human crisis management. His hands on experience along with his educational certifications helped him assume the primary role of Executive Director since the spring of 2015.

Today it is his vision to maintain Leonor’s legacy to continue saving and transforming children’s lives allowing them the opportunity for a brighter future.

Misioneros Del Camino- The Home

PAOLA

Paola arrived at Misioneros Del Camino when he was 4 years old with her twin sister and brother after their mother died and father was imprisoned. They had no one to take care of them so a judge ordered them to be sent to MDC. Leonor, “Mami Leo,” welcomed them with open arms, as she did every child, showing them warmth, affection and unconditional love.

Misioneros is the only home she’s ever known and Mami Leo the only mother. She taught me to forgive and not to judge my parents for what they had or had not done. Instead, Mami Leo always taught me to care for and love everyone. As I grew up, I realized just how significant her “life lessons” were and how they have help me become who I am today.

Paola graduated as a teacher and continued her studies to be certified as a Speech Therapist. Currently she runs the day to day operations at the home along with the Marilyn, the head of the neurological clinic, Paola reports directly to Jose, Leonor’s son. While working full time at the home, she is also studying to be a psychologist. “I feel privileged that with God’s help I can take care of all my brothers and sister every day just like Mami Leo took care of me throughout my life.”

Misioneros Del Camino- Neurological Clinic

Marilyn

Marilyn is in charge of the Misioneros Del Camino Neurological Clinic. She began working at Misioneros in 2006 and today has over one hundred children and their family as active patients and currently many more on the waiting list.

She graduated from Universidad San Carlos de Guatemala with a degree in Special Education. She continued her studies and has a Masters and PHD and is licensed in Clinical Psychology and Mental Health. She oversees all facets of the neurological clinic including physical, occupational, and sensorial as well as speech therapies. She is also involved with the parent and sibling educational program on neurological disorders to help the families understand and cope with the child’s disease.

Marilyn is also active in the day to day operation of the home and helps Paola to ensure the home runs smoothly and the children are well cared for every day.